Walking through Santa Fe’s halls, students see more than just lockers and classrooms. James Coplin, an art teacher, painted six vibrant murals around the school, bringing the visuals of color and creativity to the paths students walk every day.

Coplin’s start of the murals began in 2003. His first mural, located in the back hall, sparked what eventually became six total murals spread throughout the school. Although the first mural has been covered, it marked the beginning of something long-lasting.

The most prominent of the six, “The Wolf Trail,” was created thanks to an opportunity provided by students.

“Senior class of 2009, they gifted it to the school, and paid me to do it by the Freshman Academy,” Coplin said.

The mural stretches across an entire wall of the Freshman Academy and represents Santa Fe’s known trail, the “Wolf Run,” completed with a few wolves. “The Wolf Trail” is also Coplin’s favorite mural. The project took about a month to finish. Before starting the project, Coplin made a detailed scale to base it on.

You can find other murals around the school in the A, B, C and D halls. They each feature wolves in a scenic, vibrant background and his name on the bottom corners.

Despite the size and impact of the murals, Coplin completed all six entirely on his own.

“All me,” Coplin said.

When asked if Coplin would ever consider painting another mural in the future, he denied considering the physical challenges now.

“Probably not, it would be hard for me now because my knee is so shot. They would have to pay me a lot of money,” Coplin said.

Although another mural isn’t in the future, his own personal works continue to grow.

Coplin’s passion for art started early when he was nine years old. Growing up, he found inspiration in the things he saw around him.

“Things that I saw, I thought were cool, things I gravitated more naturally,” Coplin said.

Originally, Coplin didn’t plan on becoming a teacher. When he started college, he majored in graphic design but was known for his quick drawings.

“When I got finished, I helped other people in class. My professor asked if I ever wanted to teach, and I changed my major that day,” Coplin said.

That single conversation changed the course of his career, eventually leading him to Santa Fe, where his influence goes beyond the classroom and onto the very walls of the school.